


non-sexual acts of intimacy ( crewt )

by solaris (rumpledvelvet)



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, nonsexual acts of intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-06 12:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 7,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8752525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledvelvet/pseuds/solaris
Summary: newt has misplaced his scarf, or so he thinks.





	1. finding one wearing the other's clothes

**Author's Note:**

> all aboard the cremander/crewt trash train!

newt has torn apart his apartment and has just opened the case to interrogate his creatures about the location of his hufflepuff scarf when credence steps into the war-zone with it wrapped around his pale throat. 

 

credence, now free of mary lou’s control, has still not dropped his habit of wearing all black and the canary yellow of newt’s house color looks rather...dashing against credence’s new black peacoat. his fingers toy with the ends of the scarf as he surveyed the damage and newt’s frantic state. his lips part before closing again. 

 

“were.. you looking for something?” his tone gave away that he sincerely hoped that newt didn’t think that ‘disaster’ was an appropriate form of redecoration. 

 

“ah, yes.” newt straightened and gestured vaguely to the scarf before stepping over a felled chair to stand before his equally lanky lover. “but, i’ve found that it looks far better on you than it ever looked on me.” a flush bloomed on credence’s cheeks, and the wizard leaned down to press a featherlight kiss to the tip of the boy’s nose. 

 

“i can..give it back? i couldn’t find my own and it’s rather warm. is it enchanted?” his voice lifted curiously at the end of ‘enchanted’ and he distantly felt shame for his curiosity, but newt perked up at the ability to explain more magic to him. “also, can you..clean this up? you knocked..”

“quite a few things down in my search, yes,” newt finished, laughing sheepishly before turning and pulling out his wand to clean up the messy apartment. credence brought his hands together with awe, lips curling into a small smile as he watched everything lift and move into their previous positions. no matter how many times he witnessed newt, tina or queenie perform magic, the childlike wonder would always bring a smile to his face. 

 

while newt was focused on his task, credence carefully unwound the scarf from his neck to set it upon newt’s shoulders. “you are the hufflepuff, you should be wearing it.” 

 

“i’d like for you to wear it more often. just..inform me next time you would like to borrow it so i won’t have to destroy the poor flat the next time.” 

 

“whatever you like.” he shyly pressed a kiss to newt’s cheek before he slipped away to the kitchen.


	2. cuddling in a blanket fort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence thinks newt needs an escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is going to be a 20 days of christmas challenge with an exuberant amount of gay. please enjoy. also! this takes place after credence gets a wand, which will be a separate fic entirely.

credence knew that newt missed frank, no matter how happy he was that the thunderbird had returned home and he resolved to fill the empty space in the chest as soon as he could. he had enlisted queenie and tina’s assistance in distracting newt for the allotted amount of time. 

 

newton wouldn't be distracted for the entirety of the two hours, so credence had to work with a swiftness previously unknown to him. he'd been taken to get a wand a few months prior, and he carefully arranged the blankets into a miniature of a castle in the scottish highlands he'd heard so much about. 

 

he wasn't yet experienced enough to enchant candles to float, so he carefully set them around the fort before scattering coins in a line towards the entrance to coax the niffler in for cuddles as well. 

 

the little beast followed the scent of fresh gold easily and allowed credence to scratch his full belly as the boy curled up amongst gold and black pillows to wait for his partner. 

 

newt climbed into the chest, pausing halfway into the safari when he saw the blanket fort replica of hogwarts. his hand came up to his chest where pickett peeked up and pointed excitedly to the construction. “yes, i know pickett. i'd get in there faster if you'd let me remove my coat, pickett.” 

 

he carefully extracted the bowtruckle before removing his coat and crawling into the fort on his hands and knees to find the niffler napping in his love’s protective arms. he smiled fondly, moving to wrap his long arms and legs around credence’s form and tuck his nose into his dark brown hair. “this is..very nice. you've gotten much better with your wand.”

 

credence leaned into the affection with a pleased smile at the praise as his fingers kept rubbing the niffler’s belly almost unconsciously. “i thought you might enjoy it.. i found an old projector, we could watch something..?”

 

“not yet. i just want this right now.” he moved his head to kiss credence on his cheek, nuzzling him affectionately soon after.


	3. taking a bath together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the problem with credence’s idea was not getting newt to share a bath with him, but with credence being comfortable enough with himself to share a bath with his partner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> credence and newt have weekly non sexual bath time and no one is going to tell me otherwise.

queenie had taken credence to lush for her weekly — weekly self indulgence trips! the idea was as novel as her favorite pink coat to credence — haul and to start buying christmas gifts for their friends. credence wasn't entirely sure how well newt would take to such indulgences but he was admittedly curious about all of the brightly colored...everything. 

 

“lush is as close the no-maj’s have come to magic, i've realized,” queenie was saying as she led him to the store, her little heeled boots clicking on the cement streets, “they put all these colors and little scents into these marvelous shapes and it's _truly_ inspired.”

 

credence was...overwhelmed at first by the store and all of its colorful glory, but queenie cast a quick charm over his nose and guided him to things that weren't too much on his pocket and nose. as queenie went for her usual things, he lingered by the bath bombs and picked up one called ‘dragon’s egg’. huh..

 

that was an idea. 

 

—

 

the problem with credence’s idea was not getting newt to share a bath with him, but with credence being comfortable enough with himself to share a bath with his partner. his body wasn't pretty and he just felt...awkward in it. 

 

but he wanted to _try_ , at least. he learned with recent experiences that everything was at least worth one try. so he ran the bath and took newton’s hand to bring him into the bathroom. 

 

“what's that you're holding?” the tall wizard asked, leaning in to inspect the admittedly egg shaped object that smelled strongly of oranges tucked into credence’s pale bombs. 

 

“it's for the bath.. it makes the water orange and smell lovely.” he looked up at newt, smiling shyly. “can we use it?” 

 

“it sounds like a bathtub sized adventure.” newt pressed their cheeks together affectionately before carefully stripping off his clothes and holding out his hands so credence could pass the bath bomb over to him.

 

it took credence a few minutes longer to be ready to strip down and climb into the bath with newt, his back pressed against his chest and the warm water surrounding them both. they weren't the luxury _type_ really, but it was an adventure, right?

 

“do i just let it fall into the bath?”

 

“i think so..” credence watched with wide eyes as newt let the egg slip from his long fingers into the bath, letting out a surprised giggle as it started to fizz upon contact.

 

“oh!” newt chuckled, wrapping his arms around credence to hold him close. they watched in silence as the white part of the bath bomb melted away to reveal the orange center and glitter, which particularly delighted newt. 

 

“is this muggle magic?” he asked breathlessly, brushing his fingers through the water with a grin. “what's this called?”

 

“queenie said it was a bath bomb. this one in particular is called dragon’s egg.” credence cupped his hand in the water before bringing it up to pour it over newt’s skin, smiling as the man laughed in delight at the name. “it's supposed to have therapeutic properties.”

 

“it's absolutely wonderful, credence.” newt pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, thumb rubbing a delicate pattern into the skin of credence’s hip. 

 

“can we go buy more?”

 

“yes, yes we can.”


	4. crying about something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence has self doubt. newt is there to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a little sad to start with but i hope you guys like it anyway!

credence wasn't beautiful, not with a body as scarred and bruised as his was, not with a face that his mother couldn't even seem to love. he was no queenie, no newt, even, and he wasn't so low as to compare himself to the beautiful and masculine movie stars that lived on the big silver screens that mary lou hadn't allowed him to see. 

he wasn't good enough to be a good son to the only mother he remembered. he had _desires_ that made him wrong in the eyes of the church and the entire new salem congregation. credence had craved magic and strangeness so badly that it made his mother detest him and his precious sister afraid of him. 

and he wasn't even _good_ at it once he was given the ability to learn. tina was patient and kind, as she always had been, but credence knew that a woman's patience running through looked like and he suggested they take a break before it wore so thin that she would raise her voice at him. 

he was disappointed in his inability to keep up, even if he knew that it was an impractical way to be. tina, queenie, and newt had all gone through seven years of magical education, of course they were more advanced than he. even with all of the power built up inside of him, credence was weak and different. he could never hope to catch up. 

he had curled up into a small ball in his bed, warm blankets pulled all the way up to his ears as hot tears of shame and disappointment dampened his cheeks and pillowcase. in his grief, he failed to notice the door opening and the careful footsteps that signaled a visitors oncoming approach. 

newt’s delicate but calloused hand gently guided the blanket down before wiping away the tears that he could see with the tips of his fingers. “tina said you were frustrated.” credence didn't reply, only wriggled backwards like a worm to press his back against newton’s side for comfort. 

“i was terrible at at charming things at first, too, you know. i actually created the charm on my chest entirely by accident. you are doing very well for someone your age.”

“you're _supposed_ to say that.” credence complained softly, lifting his head so newt could continue to tenderly wipe away his tears. 

“i’m not _supposed_ to do anything but eat and love you.”

he giggled at that, lifting his chin into newt’s touch. “you have to sleep and bathe too, you know.”

“well, i _suppose_ ,” he teased, leaning down to give credence a sweet little kiss on the tip of his nose.


	5. adjusting tie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence ties newt's tie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> crewt gives me life and i hope it makes you guys' day!

newt usually used magic to adjust and straighten his clothes in order to look at least somewhat orderly when stepping out in public. in fact, he'd never learned how to tie a tie **without** magical assistance. 

he watched the way credence’s pale fingers folded and guided the tie exactly how he wanted with a childish sort of fascination, pausing in the fastening of his cuff links to watch his partner dress himself. he wondered, absently, just why credence refused to use his wand for the little things. comfort, possibly. a sense of normalcy in a new magical world?

credence turned to look at him, the apples of his cheeks flushing a pleasant shade of rose when he caught newt’s reverent gaze. “is my tie crooked?” he asked shyly, fingers coming up to adjust it even as newt shook his head fervently. 

“no, no.. it's just.. soothing to watch you tie a tie like that. can you teach me?”

his dark head tilted curiously, eyes falling to the older wizard’s perfectly tied – albeit slightly crooked – tie. “but you've already done it..?”

“with magic, yes. but i want to learn how to do it by hand.” he said as he stood from the bed, finishing the task of his cufflinks before standing before credence and unraveling his tie with a flick of his wand. 

credence smiled just so, standing before newt and carefully beginning to tie his tie as he explained the process the same way one would explain it to a child. many would have found it patronizing, but the soft didactic tone actually helped newt focus. 

“and...there. all done.” in a sudden rush of boldness, credence pulled just so at the tie to pull newton down into a warm press of lips. with his lover still dumbstruck, the dark haired boy readjusted his tie before taking in his own reflection with a bright red face. 

newt touched his lips with a small chuckle, ducking his head with a rush of his own shyness.


	6. sharing a dessert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence and newt share a strawberry cake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is really late but! strawberry references!

being friends with the owner of a bakery had it's extreme benefits, some of which included trying out jacob’s recipes before the rest of the public. as the no-maj – still such a strange term to credence – believed very firmly in large portions there was no outstanding need to _share_ a plate. 

but even still, he set the pale pink slice of cake down and gave newt one fork while he held the other firmly in his own hand. at newt’s questioning brow, the boy took a deep breath and carefully lifted a piece of cake onto his fork and held it to newton’s mouth. 

“tell me how it tastes?” he said softly, cheeks flushing as newt slowly leaned forward to take the bite into his mouth. queenie giggled softly as she watched them, but the sound soon faded as she bounced over to tina and left them by themselves. 

“strawberries.” the wizard eventually replied, a smile breaking its way onto his lips before he offered credence his own forkful of cake. “ripe, sweet strawberries.”

a crowd favorite, if tina’s approving mumbles and queenie’s excited claps were anything to go by. 

“i like strawberries, what about you?” he tilted his head as he took the bite gratefully and sighed at the taste. “i _really_ like strawberries.”

“i really like you. but strawberries are a good third.”

“are your creatures second?” he knew the answer to this, however, especially once pickett peeked out of newt’s pocket and posed proudly. 

“but of course.” 

they finished their slice of cake slowly, feeding each other little bites rather than tackling the cake on both sides. 

 

credence pretended not to notice as queenie took a picture of the two of them, curling into newt and carefully wiping a stray smear of icing from his lover’s lips.


	7. slow dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence and newt slow dance to "you're the cream to my coffee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so so sorry this is a whole day late but i hope the cute makes up for it!

credence sat with newt by the window, admiring the first heavy snow of new york city with a quiet contemplation that didn’t really suit the older wizard. but it was cozy and credence hadn’t felt as safe as he had while wrapped in newt’s arms and a plush blanket the man had knitted earlier in the week so he wasn’t particularly inclined to move. 

that changed only when newt ducked his head to press a chaste kiss to the curve of credence’s shoulder and mumbled into the fabric there, “would you dance with me?” 

“dance with you..? i’ve never really..danced. ma thought it was devilish.” at the turn down of newt’s lips against his shoulder, credence quickly backpedaled and rubbed his cheek gently against newt’s. “but i..would like to learn.. and dance with you.”

“i would like to teach you.” newt lifted his head, lips curling up into a smile before he carefully guided credence up to stand. 

he was tempted to comment on the lack of music before newt raised his wand to turn on the phonograph on to a song credence had never heard before. “what song is this..?”

“‘you're the cream to my coffee’,” newt smiled gently, taking the brunet’s hands and guided him in close to start a careful and very measured two-step. 

“you..don't like coffee.” he couldn't help but laugh, leaning against newt’s chest as the taller man ducked his head back into the crook of credence’s shoulder to chuckle. 

“no, im too english.” he stepped back and gave credence a little twirl, smiling widely at his delighted laugh before he brought the boy back into his arms. “but you make my life sweeter and smoother, which makes you the cream to my coffee.” 

credence held him closer, smiling brightly against his shoulder as he swayed along to the woman’s voice filtering in out of the phonograph. “am i also the lemon and honey to your tea?” 

newt snorted despite himself, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple as he held credence in closer. “i suppose so. i didn't know that you had it in you to tease.”

“you bring out the best in me.”


	8. reading a book together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt reads hogwarts: a history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> newton scamander is a mess and i love him so much.

newt shifted some in his seat on he and credence’s bed, clearing his throat theatrically and smiling brightly when his love giggled softly into queenie’s near famous hot cocoa.

“hogwarts:,” he paused here, looking over at credence with the most serious face he could muster, “a history.” he broke out into a cadence of giggles as credence covered his mouth, the well loved textbook falling back into newt’s lap as he tried to calm himself down to continue reading. 

“i do not believe your six grade textbook was meant for dramatic reading, newton.” 

newt winced, resting his hand on his chest with a soft laugh. “i dare say it wasn't, but please don't call me newton. you sound like my old professors.” he picked the book back up and wrapped his arm around credence’s shoulders to guide the boy closer so he could look at the pages as he read. “you know, “quidditch through the ages” is a much more interesting text.” 

“i know you were a chaser. and i can learn about quidditch another day. right now, i want to learn about the school you love so very much.” credence kissed newt on the cheek as he settled into the space made for him, eyes on the book before them. 

“if you absolutely insist.” he rested his head atop credence’s dark hair, flipping to the origin of the four founders of hogwarts before taking a breath to begin to read. 

credence paused for a moment when the story was finished and lifted his head to look up at newt with a soft smile. “what house do you think i would be in, newt?”

“i don't want to be selfish and say that you would be a hufflepuff but i do believe that my house would suit you. or perhaps gryffindor, for your immense bravery in the face of graves and your mother.” newt tucked his face down to kiss him gently, fingertips brushing over credence’s cheekbones. 

“i think i would like to be a hufflepuff. it produced someone as wonderful and kind as you.” the boy mumbled against his lips, hands curled limply around his cocoa. “also your scarf is quite pretty.”

“now we can learn about quidditch!”

“ _newt._ ”


	9. playing with hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence grows out his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ezra with fluffy hair is the source of this fic. that's,,, really really it, guys.

credence was slowly, but steadily, growing his hair out from the harsh cut that mary lou had insisted on when he lived with her. vanity was a deadly sin of witches, she used to say, even when she had one of the more popular styles of the day. 

tina had taken him to get it trimmed every so often and now the previously bone straight hair was long enough to develop waves that curled almost flirtatiously around his ears. 

the new style was difficult to get used to, certainly, but he thought he looked rather fetching. and, if the bright lights in newton’s eyes and smile were anything to go by, the sentiment was certainly shared. 

“it's so..heavy.” credence noted once the curls began to fall under his ears and queenie could playfully pull it back into a horse’s tail. 

“you could get another fetching haircut,” queenie suggested, smiling knowingly when newt made a distressed sound from where he was feeding the occamies. “you’ll look handsome either way.” she pecked his cheek before hurrying over to help tina feed the mooncalves.

credence curled his fingers absently around his hair, smiling over at newt and deciding that he wasn't going to cut it. not yet, at least. 

that night as they lay in bed listening to the radio, newt carded his fingers through credence’s soft hair, making sure his fingertips brushed tenderly over the boy’s temple. he considered learning how to braid, to fully maximize every opportunity to play with his lover’s hair, but tina and queenie certainly wouldn't let him practice on them. “credence?”

“hm..?” he replied sleepily, opening his eyes to look up at newt. he'd been soothed by the fond attention, and was nearly lulled into a gentle sleep. 

“you used to braid little mercy’s hair, yes? can you teach me?”

“i...think so..?” he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting on the floor between newt’s legs to begin instructing him on how to braid his hair. 

he ended up falling asleep like that, his face cushioned against newt’s thigh and his hair plaited into two very messy braids.


	10. holding hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gang goes christmas shopping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta thank my pal @troubledthoughts over at tumblr for giving me the encouragement to get this chapter written. couldn't have done it without you bud! i also love the union square market. there's all sorts of unique stuff and some of the best apple cider ever.

credence had gone through his fair share of christmases in new york city, and had tried to explain this to newt as they went on a last minute shopping trip, but his partner would not be dissuaded: they would be holding hands on their trip. 

credence had no problem with holding newt’s hand! the wizard had incredibly nice hands, with calluses from his work and holding his wand, and credence’s hand fit perfectly in his grip but credence wasn’t a child. he could walk through the streets by himself. 

or, so he thought before they came up the stairs into the crowded union square. _oh_. credence had never gone this far downtown, especially not during the holiday season, and reached back instinctively for something to hold onto. 

newt’s hand slid dutifully into his own, and the taller man pressed closer to his boyfriend to press a tender kiss to his hat covered temple. “i told you that it was smart to hold hands.” he laughed softly, pressing closer to newt’s side as his hazel eyes scanned over the red market stalls. there were so many things to _choose_ from, but very few gifts to buy. 

“yes, newton artemis fido scamander, the genius.” tina flicked newt on the ear as she moved from behind the magizoologist to inspect the market as a whole, ignoring his petulant pout with a fond smile. “credence, do you see anything that you would like to check out?” 

“oh, me..? honestly, there’s so much going on that i couldn’t hope to pick something out..” he trailed off as the scent of fresh apple cider reached his nose, his body promptly orienting to find it. “that. i want that.” 

“cider?” jacob asked, his arm firmly around queenie as her blue eyes flick around all of the jewelry stands with nothing short of delight. credence thinks that it was rather prudent of them to leave the creatures at home, as the niffler would have _promptly_ stolen everything in sight. “it’s down a level, but that might be the best place to start.” 

“can we?” credence asked newt and smiled when his partner neglected to answer in favor of tightening his grip on his hand and pushing politely through the amassed crowd to follow his nose to the nearest apple cider stand. 

a few minutes later, credence had piping hot apple cider in one hand and newton’s gloved one in the other and was more than prepared to take on a little more christmas shopping.


	11. shoulder rubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> modern au; newt gives credence a massage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a DAY LATE BUT STILL IMPORTANT. also the massage bar newt uses is 'tender is the night', for anyone who's curious.

one of the first things newt had noticed about credence was his posture. years of being told he was worthless and a waste of space made the obviously tall boy curl up on himself in a futile attempt to hide. from personal experience, newt knew that such behavior hurt more than the mind, but brought the same cruelty to the body. 

so, he resolved to help his love ease the pain in his shoulders. the issue here? newt barely new how to reset his own posture and wasn't sure where to start when it came to the man he loved. he'd paced around the habitats before he spotted the occamy eggs and remembered the bath bomb credence had brought home after his day out with queenie. 

it was a start. 

asking her was..difficult, to put it lightly, as newt didn't know what he _wanted_ out of their shopping trip outside of something to ease credence’s discomfort but being friendly with a legilimens had an increasing number of benefits. 

“what you're looking for is a massage bar, i think. it smells very lovely and the scents are all really soothing. i'm not sure which he'd lean towards but..” with her advice and guidance newt faced the vast selection that lush had to offer. they'd only use one, he was sure, but that didn't stop him from buying three. 

( “i’m terrible at choosing things.” he complained to queenie, who only looked terribly amused over her extremely complicated starbucks order. apparently it was meant to mimic the taste of butterbeer – he rather liked it, himself. 

“i could have made the choice for ya, honey.”

“well, it's rather late for that, isn't it?” he wriggled his fingers for her drink and took a mildly grumpy sip. “we’re very lucky i didn't buy _everything._ i don't know how you resist.”

“practice. now give that back.” ) 

newt jittered nervously around the apartment as he prepared everything, nearly jumping out of his skin when credence crept up behind him and rested his careful hands on newt’s shoulders. “you startled me.”

“what are you up to?” he asked quietly, peeking around newt to look at the small package in his hands. “you..went to lush?”

“yes.” he took a steadying breath before turning to press his forehead against credence’s. “would you mind taking off your shirt and laying down? it will ease the discomfort in your shoulders…” 

flushed, credence agreed and shyly shed his thick sweater to lay on his chest on their shared bed. newt knew that the boy didn’t like divesting himself of clothing due to the scars of his mother’s beatings and he was trying his best to associate his body with more positive memories. carefully, he settled beside his boyfriend and brought the massage bar up to rub it in careful circles over credence’s pale skin. 

slowly, as the circles grew broader and the scent of jasmine and vanilla filled the room, credence’s muscles relaxed and newt’s calloused fingers could begin to knead and work over the scarred skin. every so often, he lowered his head to press a soft kiss to the back of credence’s neck. “i love you..” he whispered, even after he knew that the boy had fallen asleep.


	12. caring for the other while ill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt is sick and credence wants to Help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually really like this one? i'm trying to make them longer but i can make no promises.

credence could imagine that this wasn’t newt’s first time getting sick from taking care of his creatures, which was why the man insisted on pulling himself out of his bed to work to the bone, but newt had been alone then. 

he wasn’t alone now, and credence wasn’t of a mind that would let the man he loved work himself to the bone. which is why when he noticed that newt had snuck out of his bed before dawn to cater to his creatures, credence went into the kitchen to make chicken noodle soup with his wand – just the way queenie had taught him. 

once the soup ( and newt’s favorite tea ) was finished, credence very carefully opened the case and stepped down into it to force his exceptionally stubborn hufflepuff to take a break and take let someone give him as much care as he gave his creatures. 

“newt?” he called, smiling fondly down at the mooncalves before he spotted newt trying to coax pickett back onto the bowtruckle tower. “newt, you have to _eat._ ”

“hmm? oh, credence! did i wake you..?” the boy tilted his wrist to look at his watch. just after dawn, he would have been up around this time for his morning prayers on any other day, so he shook his head and smiled softly at the relief that washed over newt’s face before the man turned to sneeze into his sleeve. right. he had a mission. 

“you’re ill. you need to keep fluids in your body.” he held out the tray with soup and tea firmly, flicking his eyes between it and newt pointedly. while he was still very timid, when he wanted something he would do his best to get it. 

“but, my creatures..”

“can last a few minutes while you eat and get better. you don’t have to take care of them on your own anymore.” credence reminded him softly, setting the tray down on the table in newt’s hut before patting it. “i can feed them. but you have to finish off either the soup or the tea.” he watched as newt contemplated his options before letting pickett curl up in his breast pocket and heading to the hut. 

“only one, right..?” 

“right.” credence agreed, stepping out of the way for newt to sit down before pressing the back of his hand to the wizard’s forehead to check his temperature much like he used to check modesty’s. “your fever has gone up..”

“it hasn’t.” newt pouted as he lifted his tea to his lips, though it melted away as the steam wafted up around his face. “did you make this..?”   
“i did.. i wanted to make sure that you were getting well.” he shyly brushed a hand over newt’s hair, sitting beside him and prodding him to spoon hot soup into his mouth. “because as god is my witness, you wouldn’t do it yourself.” 

newt smiled, leaning into credence gratefully. perhaps he could let someone take care of him, just this once.


	13. forehead & cheek kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt and credence & morning routines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! i'm SO sorry that i've been absent for so long, but it's been a weird set of days but now! chapters! i'm inking these out one after the other because i feel so bad.

newt had a ritual every morning, much like credence’s prayers, and he didn't like to change it. he usually woke a short time before credence did, just as the sun was lightening to a pale lavender, and would carefully rest his bodyweight on an arm to look down at the angular boy he'd so unexpectedly fallen for. 

even more carefully so as to not disturb his lover’s rest, newt would lower his head to press a tender kiss to the center of credence’s brow, wishing him sweet dreams until he woke. next, he'd kiss the tip of his nose before pressing delicate kisses to both of his cheeks. then, when he saw credence’s lashes begin to flutter at the attention, newt would kiss his lips and climb out of bed to start a pot of tea. 

there were times where he was certain that credence had woken before him, but he never ceased in his tradition, because feeling credence smile against his lips as dawn broke through the slits in their curtains was one of the better feelings newt had the pleasure of experiencing. 

credence had his own morning schedule, that only sometimes depended on newt’s kisses to wake him out of slumber. he'd rise after newt was out of bed – only after he rolled into his side of the bed to leach some body heat – and would sink to his knees on the side of the bed and pray for that day to be well.

he would then dress for the day before heading into the kitchen to have breakfast and tea with newt before they went into the case to tend to the creatures. for a few moments, they would be silent to enjoy the morning and each other’s company. and then credence would take newt’s hand to kiss, lightly, before kissing his lips, both cheeks and his forehead. 

newt would laugh and pull him close, and credence would think, as he does everyday, that there isn't a way that he could conceivably be happier.


	14. washing hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence needs help washing his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love ezra with his madame bovary hair and credence would look adorable with it so– here we are again. long haired credence!

credence’s hair was far below his ears, and he wasn't entirely sure about what to do with all of it. queening had given him shampoos, but washing so much hair on his own seemed to be far more of a chore than he was ready to take on by his lonesome. 

“newt! can you help me wash my hair?”

newt blinked in surprise, his eyes wide before he straightened up and tilted his head. “in..the shower..?” he'd never had much trouble washing his own hair, as he'd kept it cropped short most of his life, but he could imagine that all that extra length presented unique difficulties. 

but he wasn't sure that he and credence were...ready to shower with one another. 

“in the sink…?” ah, yes. that was more practical. 

“of course.” he set the book he was reading down on the table before him so he could join credence in the kitchen. “are you sure this won't strain your back..?”

credence shook his head, wrapping a towel around his shoulders with a small smile. “no more than slouching ever did. the shampoo’s right there..” 

newt grabbed a large cup to fill with water and wet credence’s hair, repeating the motion and brushing his calloused fingers over the boy’s ebony hair. credence had never known rough hands to be so tender, and let out soft little sighs whenever newt scratched over his scalp while shampooing. 

“your hair is so soft..” newt mumbled almost to himself as he smoothed the fruit scented conditioner onto his hair, massaging it in with his fingers. credence hummed his agreement, and perhaps contentment, smiling softly to himself as he tilted his head back into the touch. 

“i think it's the conditioner.”

“then i like it.” the wizard said firmly, bending credence back down to rinse the conditioner out of his hair. he towel dried it carefully before pressing a kiss to the top of credence’s head. “all done.”

credence smiled up at him, reaching up to poke his nose. “thank you~”


	15. back scratches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt acts very much like his creatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> three updates in one day!!!! what!!! i'm very motivated guys. i have to make up for my past failures. enjoy!

credence has an hypothesis on newt and it goes a little something like: newt has picked up the behavioral traits of his creatures from spending so much time around them. 

it is not a _bad_ thing by any means, and amuses credence more often than he's offended by it, but it is a fact about the wizard that makes more than a few no-majs and fellow wizards raise brows in newt’s general direction. 

newt, if called for, will not answer with a ‘hm?’ or a ‘yes?’ but rather a soft, animalistic sound of question. he will always sniff something before interacting with it. and he even has a small affinity for the shinier things that he sees – though that one may be to ensure the niffler hasn't gotten his little paws on anything important. 

credence’s favorite in this long list of traits is newt’s affinity for little scritches on his back. it's one of the easiest ways to distract him from working himself to the bone, and with newt’s affinity for clinging and snuggling in close in bed it made cuddling that much better. 

like now, for instance. 

they were tucked together on their small couch, listening to the smooth jazz pouring from their phonograph in the corner and credence’s hand had slipped under newt’s shirt to gently rub over his back. occasionally, he'd let his nails brush over his skin, smiling down at newt as he'd smile and wriggle into the touch.

“you're like...a cat.” he noted softly, tucking his nose into his hair as his lover chuckled and gave an admittedly feline arch of his back. “a cute little ginger cat.”

newt snorted, playfully bumping his head against credence’s jaw for more attention. “i just like your attention. it makes me feel nice.”

credence leaned down to kiss him, gently scratching over his back just to feel him wriggle happily against his side.


	16. patching up a wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence gets injured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAP CHRIST-MAS HOMIES!!! five fics in a day for you pals, i hope you enjoy them. 
> 
> tw: blood & small mentions of past abuse

credence knew that he wasn’t supposed to stick his fingers into the occamy nest – he’d been told not to on various occasions – but they were just so sweet looking that he couldn’t help but try to pet the small dragons. he saw the biggest one rear back and his natural instinct told him to pull away but the occamy were far faster than mary lou had ever been. 

its sharp little beak closed down on his index finger and credence cried out, jerking backwards and promptly shoving the digit into his mouth even as he looked at the creature with betrayal plain in his eyes. 

at least it had the decency to look somewhat sheepish for its instinct, but that didn't stop his finger from aching. it moved forward to butt its head against his other hand, which he accepted as an apology even as newt rushed over with pickett clinging to the pocket of his vest. 

“what happened?” his voice was harried and credence felt a little bit of embarrassment coil in his gut. he _knew_ he shouldn't have stuck his finger into the nest, but he'd just wanted to say hi to them. 

carefully, credence extracted his finger from his lips and held it out. small droplets of blood were building on the cut and credence pushed his tongue between his teeth to rid his mouth of the coppery taste. **bleh.**

“i went to pet oliver and he bit me. it's okay, though! and tiny, he's still only little.” oliver rubbed up against his hand more insistently until credence gave in to give him gently pets upon his head. “i think he just wanted the extra attention.”

“perhaps, but he gave you a booboo and petting just makes him think it's okay.” newt carefully shooed the occamy away and led credence back to his workshop to tend to the wound. 

oh, ‘booboo’, as he so eloquently put it. it was quite cute, really, and credence found himself smiling as newt sat him down and carefully cleaned it up before wrapping a pink bandaid around it. 

_queenie._ credence liked how she infused her love of pink into everyone she met. 

“there. all taken care of.”

credence smiled coyly and lifted his finger to newt’s lips. “kiss it better?”

newt chuckled, leaning in to kiss the tip of his finger. “ **there.** "


	17. ice skating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> credence wants to skate, newt obliges him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2/5 fics!!! i love this one, personally. cute ice antics!

newt hadn't skated much since his time at hogwarts, but when credence said he wanted to go skating at bryant park he couldn't very well deny him, now could he? a stronger man probably could, of course, but credence was newt’s one true weakness. so if it was skating he wanted? it was skating he got. 

newt’s pride could survive the punishing ice every time he fell. 

with his hufflepuff scarf wrapped carefully around credence’s neck, the two of them headed uptown to hopefully not make utter fools of themselves in front of crowds of absolute strangers. 

—

“does it hurt when you fall?” credence asked as they neared the entrance to the rink itself, still amazed at just how tall he was with the blades fastened to the skates. newt considered the question and firmly linked his fingers with his boyfriend’s.

“yes, but you won't fall alone.” a group of friends behind them giggled and cooed, but newt was absolutely certain that he'd be the one falling and bringing poor credence down with him. 

credence leaned against newt before squeaking as it was their turn to enter the ice. he stepped down and promptly clung to the wall. 

“credence, you'll never learn if you stay on the wall.” newt pointed out gently, taking careful steps to ensure he didn't get too far ahead of credence. 

“people off the wall are _falling_.” not all of them, and not many of them, but it was a real fear of his. what if people laughed at him? what if _newt_ laughed at him?

“falling is a part of the fun!” he held out both of his hands to credence, absolutely beaming as the dark haired boy let him pull him off of the wall. 

slowly, and carefully, they made their way around the rink until they were comfortable, their hands held firmly together even as credence curled into newt to press his cherry red nose until his neck just to hear him laugh. 

newt’s ability to stumble while standing completely still was absolutely magnified by the slickness of the ice and after going around the oval rink for around fifteen minutes he fell the first time. his knees took the brunt of the fall and credence covered his mouth with his gloved hands to smother a giggle. 

“you’re laughing at me!”

“it’s funny!” and it was! he'd probably be giggling if _he_ fell, now that he'd been on the ice for more than a few minutes. 

“oh, would you help me up?” newt was grinning with a tilt of mischief in his smile, holding out his hands for credence’s. once his boyfriend took them, he pulled him down to press their chapped lips together. 

unbeknownst to them until they exited the ice, snow started to fall as their lips met and a young photographer and their friend had snapped a shot of them giggling childishly against each other's lips. 

they ended up making the picture their christmas card, and it's a permanent fixture on credence’s phone.


	18. falling asleep with head in lap/head scratches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt overworks himself; credence tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually don't know shit about hippogriffs, but you know, i tried. happy holidays!!!!

“how is your manuscript going?” credence asked softly as he stroked his fingers over newt’s curls, head tilted down to watch as newt scribbled on one of the last pages of his notebook. he'd been filling out pages left and right as they studied his creatures together and collected new ones. 

newt doesn't lift his head to look up at his lover, but to lean into his gentle and slightly calloused touch. “it's… _going_ , we don't have room for a hippogriff to study so we might have to head back to england and study them in the wild…”

he went on about mating tendencies and how hippogriffs usually didn't live in groups but only banded together during mating season, but credence saw the delicate tremor in his hand and the puffy bags growing under his pretty, blue eyes. 

newt was exhausted and there was no easy way to get him to sleep, which was going to cause credence immeasurable amounts of stress until he remembered something very crucial to their relationship. 

as newt prattled on, credence gently scratched his scalp with his blunt nails. the motion was smooth and soothing as he alternated between scratching and massaging newt’s scalp with the soft beds of his fingers. his voice trailed off into a gentle sigh reminiscent of one of the noises the demiguise made and credence felt particularly accomplished. 

“what do hippogriffs eat?” he asked softly, feeling out just how long it would take for newt to fall asleep.

“anything they get their hands, well, **beaks** on.. rodents are good, i believe..” he adjusted himself where he was settled between credence’s legs, his head resting atop his thigh to rest. “i...think i'm going to take a nap..”

credence leaned down to pick up the notebook to tie it shut securely, smiling softly as he continued to massage newt’s scalp. “sleep well, my love..”


	19. cooking together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> crewt attempts baking a cake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're almost done guys!!! for those who stuck it out all the way i appreciate you guys very much!!!

newt stared rather viciously at the instructions on the back of the box and looked back at the viciously red, clay like cake dough that sat before himself and credence. 

“so,” he started, poking it with an already red stained fingertip, “where do you think we went wrong?”

credence took a moment to respond, kneading at the tough dough as he felt laughter bubbling in his chest. “i think we went wrong by attempting something as complicated as red velvet cake.”

….he probably had that right. “how about we make a deal to not tell jacob and clean up the kitchen before he stops by?” cleaning up the kitchen would be a task, of course, what with it looking like they brutally murdered someone in the sink. 

“you clean,” credence tapped newt’s wand where it stuck out of his jeans – right! he was a wizard! there were spells for this sort of thing! – before he moved towards the fridge, “i will get the premade cookie dough.”

newt loved having a boyfriend who could think so quickly on the spot. he genuinely would have tried to put that travesty of a cake into the oven and jacob would have genuinely disowned him as a friend. 

once newt had guided his wand over the kitchen to clean it, credence set down a cookie sheet and split the dough between them so they could set the rows together. the dark haired boy kept a piece of the dough to eat off of as they waited for the cookies to bake all the way through. 

“you know, jacob will be able to taste the difference,” he noted, complaining softly as newt stole a piece of his cookie dough to nibble one. 

“yes, but he's too polite to comment on it. he knows we're both entirely incompetent in the kitchen.”

credence snorted fondly, leaning in to look at the cookies through the window in the oven. “fourteen minutes is too long for cookies…”

“i'm not using magic to mess with the time.”

“i wasn't asking!"


	20. sharing a favorite food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> newt gets a package from his brother and credence is delighted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're done!!! a great big thank you to the entire credence barebone defense squad for hyping me up the entire road through this fic!

“where'd you get your hands on all of these?” credence asked breathlessly, looking over the spread of whimsical and odd candies laid out before him. he knew that wizards had their own foods and culture, but he'd never imagined that their sweets would be quite so different from the ones that he'd glanced at through shop windows as he and his siblings passed by at mary lou’s heels. 

newt looked proudly upon the candies, flicking open a box of bertie bott’s jelly beans and popping one into his mouth with a wince. ugh, _grass_. “my brother went to visit hogwarts and hogsmeade, the town connected to it that i told you about? and went to this little sweet shop called honeydukes and sent us a rather generous care package. try one!”

credence hesitated, taking careful note of the expression on newt’s face when he'd tasted one of the beans before, but eventually took one and bit down into it carefully. the taste of sweet sugar and what he imagined to be walks along beach boardwalks washed over his tongue and his eyes closed with a pleasant sigh. “what was that one..?”

“was it pink?” at credence’s nod, newt grins and tucks his legs under himself. “candy floss. you lucked out, i always seem to get the nastier flavors. have you never had candy floss?”

“ma thought sugar was a creation of the devil.” he managed an eyeroll and newt found himself impressed with the progress credence had made. “but i like it. did you grow up with all of these candies?”

newt nodded happily, picking up a chocolate frog box and handing it over to credence. “the frogs have a one time enchantment, you've got to be very careful that they don't use their one good hop to run away.” 

credence looked aghast, studying the pretty blue box in his hands. “they're...alive?”

“no, no!” newt laughed, picking up another box and carefully opening it. “it's like. a joke, you know? they can hop but they're still chocolate. you're not harming anything by eating it.”

the boy looked skeptical and set the box aside. “i’d rather not, still.” newt hummed his understanding before carefully sorting the candy that he deemed a little too magical for his lover’s palate. 

they stayed huddled around the candy haul until night had fallen, and credence fell asleep against newt to the sweet sound of newt’s solitary adventures amongst the enchanted hallways of hogwarts and the magical little town it resided in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, thanks for everyone who's read and left kudos and comments on this fic! you guys really inspired me to keep going and i genuinely can explain to you guys how much it means to me.

**Author's Note:**

> send me requests or just chat with me on tumblr [@niifflers](niifflers.tumblr.com)!!!


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